3D巧克力打印機甜蜜創意：想吃巧克力？打印一份！

A chocolate printer that allows sweet lovers to create their own custom-made 3D treats is to go on sale tomorrow at a cost of £2,500.
一款巧克力打印機將於明天上市，只要支付2500英鎊，甜蜜戀人們可以爲愛人打造自己的3D效果巧克力甜品了。

The machine squirts out chocolate and, via computer instructions, allows the user to build any shape they like out of the food. But makers Choc Edge - founded by Dr Liang Hao, from the University of Exeter - have missed the Easter rush.
這款機器可以噴出巧克力，用戶通過電腦下達指令把巧克力做成自己喜歡的任何形狀。巧克力打印機由埃克塞特大學郝亮博士創建的Choc Edge公司生產，不過它的上市錯過了復活節購物狂潮。

Although they hope the printer, which will go on sale on eBay, will be snapped up by retailers. Britain's biggest chocolatiers Thornton's have already said they are interested.
不過儘管如何，設計者們還是希望這種新產品能被零售商搶購一空，這款3D巧克力打印機將在eBay上推出。英國最大的巧克力製造商桑頓公司已明確表示對這款打印機感興趣。

Because of the eye-watering cost, however, few individuals are likely to buy one. But the device could one day allow people to design their own 3D objects after submitting their designs on a website.
因爲價格昂貴，個人購買巧克力打印機的可能性很小。但是在將來設計者可以通過在網上提交設計方案的方式會設計出自己的3D造型成品。

Dr Hao came up with a prototype last year and has only just perfected it so that it can now go on sale.'We've improved and simplified the machine, so now it is really easy to use,' he told the BBC. 'You just need to melt some chocolate, fill a syringe that is stored in the printer, and get creative printing your chocolate. '
郝博士去年研製出一臺原型，但直到現在才爲上市做好了充分的準備。 “我們對機器進行了改進和簡化，現在它簡單易用，”他在接受BBC採訪時說。“你要做的就是溶化一些巧克力，然後將其裝入打印機中的注射器，當然還需要你的創意，一幀巧克力作品就可以出爐了。”3D printing is a technology where a three dimensional object is created by building up successive layers of technology is already used in industry to produce plastic and metal products, but this is the first time the principles have been applied to research has presented many challenges. Chocolate is not an easy material to work with because it requires accurate heating and cooling cycles.
3D打印是一種通過建立連續物體層來產生三維體的技術。這種技術已被應用於工業中生產塑料和金屬製品，推廣到巧克力加工卻是首次。研製過程不乏挑戰。巧克力不易加工，它需要精準的加熱和冷卻循環。

Dr Hao said: ‘What makes this technology special is that users will be able to design and make their own products. From reproducing the shape of a child’s favourite toy to a friend’s face, the possibilities are endless. It could be developed to help consumers custom-design many products from different materials, but we’ve started with chocolate as it is readily available, low cost and non-hazardous.
郝博士說：“這種技術的獨到之處在於，用戶可以自行設計、製造產品。它可以仿製出孩子喜愛的玩具模樣，還可以讓巧克力看起來像你朋友的臉，可謂是創意無限。利用這款機器，用戶還可以使用不同的原材料設計出不同的產品。我們以巧克力爲研究的開端，因爲它容易獲得、成本低、無害。”

‘There is also no wastage as any spoilage can be eaten.’ Dr Hao added: ‘Eventually we may see many mass-produced products replaced by unique designs created by the customer.’
“既使做壞了，也照樣能吃不會浪費。”郝博士補充說：“最後，我們可能會看到用戶的獨特設計取代大批量生產的產品。”

EPSRC chief executive Professor Dave Delpy said: 'This is an imaginative application of two developing technologies and a good example of how creative research can be applied to create new manufacturing and retail ideas. By combining developments in engineering with the commercial potential of the digital economy we can see a glimpse into the future of new markets - creating new jobs and, in this case, sweet business opportunities.'
英國工程和自然科學研究委員會的首席執行官戴夫·德爾菲教授說：“這是對兩種發展中的技術富於想像力的應用，也是如何將創造性研究用於開發新制造業和創新零售觀念的好範例。通過綜合利用與數字經濟的商業潛力相適應的設計創新，我們看到了新的市場前景：產生新工作崗位，在巧克力打印機這個案例中我們稱之爲甜蜜商機。”